Keep Tryin': Health and wellness

Fun Exercises

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 22:06:27 GMT

So I finally got Wii Fit. It is not entirely impossible to buy, some people have been hoarding them up to sell them twice as much online. It is just impossible to buy one at MSRP from major stores.

The other day, I went to the mall with my brother for fast food. We like to park near Best Buy. And right there, sitting quietly on the shelf, last 2 boxes of Wii Fit. We stared at it and said, "Could this be real?" for like 5 times as if they are 2 live Kiwi birds. We expected to have to wait until next year. How lucky we are!

My brother and I have been on the balance board for 3-4 hours everyday. I'm beating him in flexibility and balance, but he is beating me at action ones like soccer. It is a great way to get more exercise.

Sorry for being grumpy

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 01:35:18 GMT

Lately, I've been grumpy and I think I know why. (¬_¬ ;)

I feel bad when I complain a lot, but I feel constipated when I don't. I have no free will, otherwise I wouldn't be screaming to myself in my mind to stop while doing all the negative remarks.

There is also the acne problem on my back, and I can't sleep well at night. I had migraine headache and was afraid of the light.

It all goes back to a months ago, I hurt my back removing the broken old TV. It doesn't hurt much now, but my upper body lean slightly to the left when I sit. I feel better when I stand, but my feet hurts when I stand for too long.

Because of that, I haven't been exercising and it is affecting my moods. I only get back acne when I don't get enough exercise. It is really how I figure it out.

Exercise or die! c(`Д´c)

Licking rust off my bike

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 02:29:23 GMT

My goal this month is to increase iron intake. Last week, I was rejected for blood donation for the first time in my life. That drop of blood the nurse painfully took from my finger did not sunk to the bottom of the blue solution. The test showed that there is only 1.1g of iron in my body.

A healthy person should have 3-4g of iron in the body. At least 2.5g is needed to carry oxygen to the cells. This is why I have been so tired all the time! I wouldn't have found out if I never donates. Nice to know.

20% of all women have iron deficiency. If you're irritable, tired, light-headed all the time and chew on things that are not food (e.g. pen, hair), you can probably use more iron. Good source of iron includes eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, oatmeal, soybeans and spinach... Don't forget to have more vitamin C!

Really cool pen from the chiropractor

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 23:45:06 GMT

Other than toilets, I've always have an obsession with pens (fine writing instrutments). Shopping at ITO-YA would be like a trip to Disney for me. I don't collect pens, however. Like toilets, I just use whatever is around.

We must have 100+ pens at home! I wasn't going to buy or take any more pens until I used them all up, but...

I can't help myself, I just have to take this! I got this pen from the chiropractor. The crocked-end design is so smart! There's a little guy on it, like the happy human symbol saying, "Get me to my chiropractor quick!!"

How cool is that?! I straighten my back whenever I use this pen.

電動牙刷

Thu, 19 Apr 2007 05:47:56 GMT

終於買了電動牙刷！而且是在減價再用coupon，幾乎等於半價，所以格外滿足～

為了新牙刷而興奮，真的有點不好意思。(-ω-;)

Tips to stick with your exercise routine

Fri, 02 Feb 2007 01:15:26 GMT

How did I do on my goal of "exercise everyday"? I'd say I pass. I didn't actually exercise everyday because my left knee sounds funny again. Since I have made dramatic improvements, it's a pass.

Here're my thoughts on moving a couch-potato:

Pencil in exercise. Don't use what's left of your time to exercise, because there will always be excuses to do other things. Instead of using your leftover time to exercise, make it part of your schedule.
Always exercise on Mondays. For me, Monday is the first day of the week. This sets the psychological pattern for the rest of the week.
Identify your problem. I thought I didn't like exercise, turns out I didn't like exercising in front of others. My father often critize the way I run, that I listen to music, the time of the day I do it... So now I have this thing that I'd only run alone. When there's another person in the exercise room, I'd use the stairmaster facing the windows. (no eye contact) It's werid, but it works for me.
Keep an exercise log. I got my exercise log from Women's Health magazine Training Guide. I find it very rewarding to look at my training log. It also prevents me from skipping.
Make exercise more pleasant. Buy new shoes, buy new swimsuit, join a nice gym, go with a supportive friend. Find an exercise that you love to do. Alter exercise so you don't get bored. Stella McCartney for adidas offers pretty active wear that you just can't wait to show them off at the gym!
Keep fitness magazines with you. Read them help keeps me motivated even when I'm lying on the couch. My favorite ones are Women's Health and Shape.
Any exercise is better then no exercise. Give yourself credit for your smallest efforts. If you can only run for 10 minutes, it's alright. As long as you are keeping yourself moving, you should be proud.
No excuse. Don't have time? You can always find time! We're all busy in our own way, but knowing that some of the most successful businesspeople do exercise everyday should motivate you to do it.

(*≧Д≦) 噴嚏！

Fri, 29 Dec 2006 18:45:17 GMT

兩個星期前才剛痊癒，我又生病了。

老人家都會怪是我穿得不夠暖 - 傷風可是受病毒感染，其實是我洗手不夠多吧。 (覺得自己好髒)

如果帶病過年會有點可惜呢。

聽說每天都沐桑拿浴的人傷風感冒都比較少；不知道是因為體溫較高，還是因為生活較閒呢？而且每天都沐桑拿浴的人飲食應該也很不錯吧！

(∇≦♭) 我要去焗桑拿喇～♪

Sleep for World Peace

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 20:43:40 GMT

My friends often complain about not getting enough sleep. I feel bad robbing their waking hours, so I'm less likely to contact these sleepless ones. I was surprised to find out that most of them do have time to sleep, but they choose not to. They just don't value sleep.

I've been getting a lot more sleep these days. Can't believe I pulled off my 5 years of architecture school with only 5 hours a night. I've certainly realized that for myself, getting enough sleep is a critical element of health and happiness. If I don't get enough sleep, I'm more likely to be agitated. That's unpleasant for everyone. Then I feel guilty for behaving that way, which makes me all the more ill-tempered. So I behave even worse. I also wouldn't feel like exercising or doing housework.

And even though sitting in front of a computer isn't a very enervating way to spend the day, it takes a suprising amount of energy. When I don't get enough sleep, I'm more likely to make mistakes - the same mistake repeatedly!

After I read "Power Sleep" by Dr. James Maas, I'm sold with the value of quality sleep. Dr. Maas advised figure skater Sarah Hughes to sleep at least 9 hours a day even if that means missing practice time. That piece of advice got this underdog a gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

It's obvious how to get a good sleep: dark room, comfortable bed, avoid caffiene... The problem is that it takes a lot of discipline not to stay up too late. (Colbert Report is at 12:35am!) Now I tape all my shows and watch it according to my schedule. I'm loving this arrangement - I can skip commercials, pause it whenever I want. And when I'm bored, I have a surplus of good shows that I can re-watch.

Last week, we turned back our clock for daylight saving. I've noticed that people are in good mood Everyone had an extra hour of sleep before starting their week and it made a big difference.

Maybe world peace, is only a few hours of sleep away. 〜〜(ρ.ｰ｡)

Weight Loss Tips for Lazy People

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 21:58:32 GMT

Here's to you Audrey! (Not that she's lazy or fat, I just promised her I'll blog about this.)

I have ups and downs with my weight problem all my life. Here's a summary of all the intellegence I have gathered over the years of trial and error.

First of all, you must admit you're fat. It's not toxins, not bloating and not metabolic sydrome. Once you've stopped lying to youself, we can begin losing weight.

Eat Your Calories, Don't Drink Them Would you be more filling with a McDonald's hamburger(250cal) or a bottle of coke(320cal)? By cutting out those liquid calories, you can lose a few pounds a month. Switch to diet soda and artificial sweeteners.
Drink Water We're told to drink our daily 8 glasses of water, but it's actually 1 glass of water for every 20 pounds. i.e. If you're 120 pounds, don't feel guilty for drinking only 6 glasses of water(1.5L). Drink one glass before each meal to curb your appetite.
Eat Breakfast Skipping meals would only pave the way for over-eating.
Eat Slowly It takes about 15-20 minutes for the brain to recognise signals from your stomach. If you eat too fast, you've already over-ate when you stop.
The 80% Rule Okinawan calls it "hara hachi bu" - eat 80% full. This is the same principal as above. If you stop only when your brain feel 100% full, your stomach is already 20% over-ate.
Food Curfew J-pop princess Koda Kumi swears by it. She doesn't deprive herself with food, but she stops all eating by 6pm. Maybe 6pm is too early for you, try 7pm. Stop at least 4 hours before you sleep. You'd sleep better and wake up with fresher breath.
Sleep Better Quality sleep is essential for weight loss. People with less than 6 hours of sleep are more likely to eat junk food. Besides, you can't stuff your face while you sleep. (unless you sleep walk)
The Butterfly Dance Shape your love handle just in 2 weeks! Swing your towel around with this Japanese nursery rhyme. Make a big "∞" for just 10 times a day. It take only 30 seconds a day! Check out the video demo.
Lie on Your Back You can shape your waist in just 2 weeks by lying down for 5 minutes a day. I'm not kidding! Lie down on a flat surface. Tie your big toes together with a hair band. Lie flat and keep your legs together. You can read or watch TV while doing this. Video demo: 「松永式」痩身法 (Japanese how-to-TV kick ass!) Exercise can't get lazier than this! If you can't even do this, you're helpless!

(●⌒口⌒●) Good Luck!

洗髮

Sun, 19 Mar 2006 17:04:11 GMT

我從小就有每天洗頭髮的習慣。

本來以為那是很正常的事，直到中學郊野旅行時，有個同學說：「別弄髒我頭髮，昨天才洗過。」我想：難道今天就不用洗嗎？

原來有傳說每天洗髮會導致脫髮，甚至禿頭。中醫建議每星期只洗兩次頭髮，因為洗髮過勤會把油脂徹底洗掉，使頭髮失去天然保護膜，不利頭髮的健康。

這個論說很難令我信服。因為那些每週只洗兩次頭髮的人髮質都很差，而且頭髮都很少，可能毛囊都給油脂淹死了。

The prodigal returns

Thu, 16 Feb 2006 01:13:06 GMT

First step: Exercise!

Exercise is no doubt beneficial, but... why is there always a "but"? No excuse! I'm going to include 30 minutes of exercise at least 5 times a week in my schedule.

For me, best time to exercise is early morning. I shower in the morning so it make sense to exercise before shower. Besides, I like to have the gym all by myself. I laughed very hard when Takeshi Kaneshiro said, "Running is such a private matter, I can't be seen running." in "Fallen Angels". Well, funnier in Chinese.

Wooh~ Have to wake up an hour early to exercise. I'll try!

♪ Keep trying, trying. ♪ Keep trying, trying.